Tackle boxes



May 11, 1965 v. N. BRossEAU TACKLE BOXES Filed May '7, 1963 INVENTOR Wfior/M rosseafu United States Patent O` 3,182,872 TACKLE BGXES Victor N. Brosseau, Fullmar Lane, Norwalk, Conn. Filed May 7, 1963, Ser. No. 278,635 3 Claims. (Cl. 224-5) This invention relates to a tackle box of the type used by lishermen.` While it is useful in connection with any kind of iishing, it is primarily adapted for iishingwhen plugs are used and particularly very long plugs, such as are used in surf fishing.

An object of the invention is to provide a tackle box divided in such a way as to prevent the many hooks carrie-d by plugs from becoming interengaged with the hooks of other plugs and with fish line, flies, and other fishing equipment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tackle box adapte-d for storing long plugs separately, and in addition to various other gear.

This invention will be best understood when the following description is read. in connection with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, partly broken-away and partly in section, with the top and tray interengaged and in open position, exposing the compartments of the body portion, and with the drawer partly lifted out of its compartment,

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation partly broken away and partly in section, showing the vstructure with the top and tray interengaged with one another and also with the body portion,

FlGURE 3 is an end view par-tly cut away and partly in section looking at the right hand side of the structure as viewed in FIGURE Q, butrwith only the tray locked to the body portion and with the top in open position, and,

FIGURE 4 is an end view partly broken away and partly in section, with the drawer in exploded relation to the body portion, and with the top and tray interengaged and in open position.

In the embodiment of the invention disposed herein the main body portion of the tackle box comprises a box like container 8 having a front panel 10 and a rear panel 12, end panels 14 and 16 and the bottom panel 18. End wall 14 is higher and taller than end wall 16 and the portions 10a and 12a of the front and rear walls adjoining the taller end wall 14 are offset upwardly to the level of the top ofV said taller end wall. The inward edges 20 and 22 of the upwardly offset portions 10a and 12a of the front and rear walls are joined by cross wall 24 forming a compartment which is divided transversely by the partition member 26 into compartments 28 and 30. The remainder of the body portion of the tackle box is divided by transverse partition members 32, 34, 36, and 38 and the longitudinally extending member 40 into eight compartments 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56 and 58, Y

which are of greater height than their cross-sectional dimensions, and the end compartment. 60 in which the vertically-disposed drawer 62 is received.

The side walls of the drawer are grooved longitudinally with grooves g on their inner faces, adjacent their upper edges, and a cover 63 is slidingly received in the grooves. The sliding drawer -top has on Vits upper surface the finger piece 63a which also serves as a contact memi `ber holding the Ydrawer steady when thedrawer is within its compartment 6l). Atthe upper end of drawer 62 l,the handle 64 is providedl and the draweris of less `height than the compartments 44-58'so that `the combination of drawer andhandle will not extend up above the level of the tops of said compartments.

Hinged to the backr'wall 12 by hinges 65 is a top 66 which is vmovable from open, folded b ack position, in

3,182,872 Patented May 11, 1.965

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which it is held by liexible means 67, lto closed position in which it is supported by and rests on the upper perimeter of the walls and partition members comprising the compartments 28 and 30, and also on the top of the walls and partition members comprising tray which is hinged to the back panel 12 by hinge means 72 and is movable from a folded back, open position, in which it is held by liexible means 71, to a position in which it rests on the perimeter of the lower portion of the body of the tackle box ie.: upon the top ofthe lower portions of the front and rear walls 10 and 12 and on the top of the end wall 16. y

The tray 70 comprises the front'and rear wall portionsV 74 and 76 and the end wall portions 78 and80, the transverse partitions 82, 84, 86 and 88 and the longitudinally extending partition member 90. The end 78 of the tray is in abutting relation to the transverse partition member 24, which is the inward side wall of compartments 28 and 30, and the height of which is equal to the height of tray 74 plus the heighty of the compartments 44-60- Thus in unfolded position the top vof the trayV is llush with the top of compartments 28 and 30 and when the top 66 is closed it rests on the upper edge of the perimeter of the tray as well as the upper edge of the perimeter of the compartments 28 and 30.

Locking means 94 is provided Vfor locking together the top 66 and the tray 78, and locking means 96 is provided for interlocking the tray and the body of the tackle box. When locking means 94 is unlocked the top 66 may be raised independently of the tray 74 `to give access to the compartments of the tray. When locking means 94 is locked and locking means 96 is unlocked the top and the tray may be swung open together to 'give access to the plug compartments and the drawer.

Projecting from the upper surface of the top is a Vhandle 98 of any suitable kind, and projecting outwardly from the end walls 14 and 16 are the handles 100 and 102. Preferably a strap 104 is provided having snaps 186 and 108 at its ends respectively for engagement with the handles and 102, the strap 184 being a shoulder strap long enough so that the tackle box may be disposed at approximately the hip line of the user in a position to give ready access to the contents of the tackle box to change the plug being used or for any other reason.

Drainage holes h are provided in the bottom 18 so that water dripping from a used plug may be drained out of the tackle box. The drainage holes h are also useful to prevent the tackle box from becoming filled or partly filled by water splashing into it while it is open and the fisherman is walking or standing in the surf.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention eight plug compartments are shown and a plug pI placed in any one of the compartments will be entirely out of contact with plugs placed in other compartments and with articles in tray '76.

It will be noted that in the top ege of one or more of the partition member defining each of the compartments 44-58 a reentry slot 11i) is provided.

When the tray isV in closedV position it coacts with slots 11b by providing a cover over them. Plugs may be hung in the compartments by inserting a hook, conveniently a nose hook, in a slot 110. When the tray is closed the hooks are locked in their slots respectively and held separatefrom one another.

By using the slots, and :depending on .the size of the plugs relative to the-size of the plug compartments, more than one plug may be stored in the same compartment Vwithoutl getting intertangled.

The compartments 28 and 30 may be used for a variety of purposes, for example one may be used for storing the detachable shoulder strap 104. Similarly drawer 62 may be used in many ways, as, for example, for an additional reel, a pair of gloves, sandwiches and the like. There has thus been provided a tackle box in which the above-stated objects are provided in a thoroughly Practical Way.

What I claimis': Y A 1. A'tackle box comprising, a main body portion divided into a number of vertically extending compartments, at least oneof the compartments being longer,

and extending above, the rest of the compartments, a

tray adapted to extend over, and to rest on the tops of, the shortercompartments, and meansfor hingedly connecting the tray to the said main body portion, a coverl adapted to extend over the tray and also over the longerV compartment or compartments, means hingedly connecting the cover to the tray, and a plurality of lock means for interconnectingthe tray selectively to the main body portion, and to the cover.

2. The tackle box claimed in claim 1, including shoulder strap means connected to the tackle box in such a Way, and having a length such that, in use the Vtackle box may'be disposed at approximately the hip line of the user in position to give ready access to the contents of the tackle box.

` 3. A tackle box comprising a main body, removable partitions' Within said main body dividing it into a. number of compartments one or more of which is taller than the others, a tray adapted to overlie the tops of the lower compartments, hinge means for interconnecting the tray to the main body, and lock means for interengaging the tray and the main body when the tray is disposed over the tops of said lower compartments, a cover adapted to overlie the taller of said compartments and at the same time to overlie the said tray when it is superimposed upon the tops of the lower compartments, means for hingedly attaching the cover to the said tray, and lock means by which the tray may be selectively locked to the ,cover` and raised with it to give access simultaneously to all thercompartments, or locked tothe body portion to give access to the traypand taller compartment `or compartments When the cover above is raised.

References Cited bythe Exner UNITED. STATES PATENTS Harris 43-5 7.5

HUGO o. SCHULZ, Primm Examiner. I

JOSEPH s. REICH, Examiner. 

1. A TACKLE BOX COMPRISING, A MAIN BODY PORTION DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING COMPARTMENTS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE COMPARTMENTS BEING LONGER, AND EXTENDING ABOVE, THE REST OF THE COMPARTMENTS, A TRAY ADAPTED TO EXTEND OVER, AND TO REST ON THE TOP OF, THE SHORTER COMPARTMENTS, AND MEANS FOR HINGEDLY CONNECTING THE TRAY TO THE SAID MAIN BODY PORTION, A COVER ADAPTED TO EXTEND OVER THE TRAY AND ALSO OVER THE LONGER COMPARTMENT OR COMPARTMENTS, MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING THE COVER TO THE TRAY, AND A PLURALITY OF LOCK MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING THE TRAY SELECTIVELY TO THE MAIN BODY PORTION, AND TO THE COVER. 